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Radii · 03-02-2015, 11:38 PM

Monday, March 2nd - Week 2 Class

Sitting Body Scan

The instructor talks how you don't have to be lying down to do the body scan. You aren't always in a place where you can lie down, but you can do this sitting, or standing, or in the car (though presumably not when driving). We are guided through a shorter version of a seated body scan. Instead of being guided through 4 different parts of the foot, it is covered all in one go. I didn't time it but I think it took ~10 minutes instead of 25. I do notice when sitting up more of my body is engaged, less physically relaxed than when lying down fully supported. This makes it easier to "notice" many body parts, feeling my feet pressing on the floor, things like that. There is the addition of the concept of noticing sounds around you during this as well. Just as your thoughts may often take focus briefly during the scan, sounds around you can also do the same thing. This is at the very beginning of the class so some folks arrive after we've started. Some other people are leaving the facility still. At some point during this there is a fire truck or ambulance. Hopefully its one of the Carolina Blue fire trucks in Chapel Hill, those things are awesome. So the instructor walks us through acknowledging all of these things happening around us, but suggests we go back to the scan after making note of them.

Poem

The instructor reads Wild Geese by Mary Oliver. I have no thoughts or reaction to this poem.

Discussion of Last Week's Practice

The instructor asks us to share our experiences with the various practices from the previous week, starting with the body scan. The most common theme is finding the time to do it. Not many people talked about skipping it, though some did. A few people described their experiences and described the feeling that they were "doing it wrong." One person talked about a habit she has when a new thought/idea comes to her to help her remember it, but that it seemed wrong to do it during the body scan. She asked "would it be allowed?". The instructor asked her what it would be like to just notice the thought happening instead of reacting to it. Another person talked about procrastinating and needing things to be just right to start it. "I'll be ready to do this once I do the dishes and vacuum, doesn't feel right to do it before then". Oh man, THESE ARE MY PEOPLE AFTER ALL.

Next we're asked to discuss our routine activities. Teeth brushing was a common choice, which makes sense as it was one of the first suggestions offered by the instructor. People talked about how easily their other thoughts would take over something mundane. Makes sense to me. One person mentioned her routine task would be driving her child to school, but school was cancelled last week so she didn't do anything. She mentioned she did good with mindful eating though, so the instructor asked her about that. HEY WE WERE STILL ON THE OTHER THING NO SKIPPING AHEAD. After this gross breach of routine (kidding/pointing out my own neurotic need for structure, fyi), we are open to talking about routine activity and/or mindful eating.

With mindful eating some people said their food tasted better when they ate mindfully. Some said it tasted worse when they stopped everything to really notice it. This was the main place where I was willing to speak up, so I went ahead and pointed out that mindful eating was a frustrating experience to me, due to my perceived lack of smell and thus taste. I also mentioned my trouble with the beginners mind, that I know what bacon tastes like and trying to view it for the first time just doesn't happen. I'm happy I spoke up, my experience did appear to be unique (or at least unshared by anyone else), but I'm happy when I'm done talking too. Whew.

03-02-2015, 11:38 PM	#33
Radii Head Coach Join Date: Jul 2001	Monday, March 2nd - Week 2 Class Sitting Body Scan The instructor talks how you don't have to be lying down to do the body scan. You aren't always in a place where you can lie down, but you can do this sitting, or standing, or in the car (though presumably not when driving). We are guided through a shorter version of a seated body scan. Instead of being guided through 4 different parts of the foot, it is covered all in one go. I didn't time it but I think it took ~10 minutes instead of 25. I do notice when sitting up more of my body is engaged, less physically relaxed than when lying down fully supported. This makes it easier to "notice" many body parts, feeling my feet pressing on the floor, things like that. There is the addition of the concept of noticing sounds around you during this as well. Just as your thoughts may often take focus briefly during the scan, sounds around you can also do the same thing. This is at the very beginning of the class so some folks arrive after we've started. Some other people are leaving the facility still. At some point during this there is a fire truck or ambulance. Hopefully its one of the Carolina Blue fire trucks in Chapel Hill, those things are awesome. So the instructor walks us through acknowledging all of these things happening around us, but suggests we go back to the scan after making note of them. Poem The instructor reads Wild Geese by Mary Oliver. I have no thoughts or reaction to this poem. Discussion of Last Week's Practice The instructor asks us to share our experiences with the various practices from the previous week, starting with the body scan. The most common theme is finding the time to do it. Not many people talked about skipping it, though some did. A few people described their experiences and described the feeling that they were "doing it wrong." One person talked about a habit she has when a new thought/idea comes to her to help her remember it, but that it seemed wrong to do it during the body scan. She asked "would it be allowed?". The instructor asked her what it would be like to just notice the thought happening instead of reacting to it. Another person talked about procrastinating and needing things to be just right to start it. "I'll be ready to do this once I do the dishes and vacuum, doesn't feel right to do it before then". Oh man, THESE ARE MY PEOPLE AFTER ALL. Next we're asked to discuss our routine activities. Teeth brushing was a common choice, which makes sense as it was one of the first suggestions offered by the instructor. People talked about how easily their other thoughts would take over something mundane. Makes sense to me. One person mentioned her routine task would be driving her child to school, but school was cancelled last week so she didn't do anything. She mentioned she did good with mindful eating though, so the instructor asked her about that. HEY WE WERE STILL ON THE OTHER THING NO SKIPPING AHEAD. After this gross breach of routine (kidding/pointing out my own neurotic need for structure, fyi), we are open to talking about routine activity and/or mindful eating. With mindful eating some people said their food tasted better when they ate mindfully. Some said it tasted worse when they stopped everything to really notice it. This was the main place where I was willing to speak up, so I went ahead and pointed out that mindful eating was a frustrating experience to me, due to my perceived lack of smell and thus taste. I also mentioned my trouble with the beginners mind, that I know what bacon tastes like and trying to view it for the first time just doesn't happen. I'm happy I spoke up, my experience did appear to be unique (or at least unshared by anyone else), but I'm happy when I'm done talking too. Whew.